27/04/2007

Warning issued over club drug

Doctors have warned of the dangers of an animal deworming tablet, which is being touted as a new drug on the club scene.

A report in medical journal 'The Lancet' warned that benzyl piperazine, known as BZP, has a chemical structure similar to amphetamine.

The drug, a veterinary worm medicine developed in the 1950s, was legally available over-the-counter in the UK until last month when the unlicensed sale of the drug was banned.

It has become regarded as a legal alternative to other drugs such as Ecstasy and amphetamines and is being sold under names such as Pep Twisted, Legal E, Nemesis and Euphoria.

However, doctors warned that the effects of the drug include nausea, vomiting, abnormal heart rhythms, high blood pressure, seizures and convulsions.

The Lancet report highlighted the case of an 18-year-old woman who collapsed and suffered a seizure in a London club after taking the drug.

(KMcA/JM)


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